Holiday Lights
by Ranger Hitomi
Summary: The other Unova gym leaders are determined not to allow Clay to carry on his holiday tradition of solitude.


_It's been a while! Here's a little holiday story for you. It doesn't have any Rangers in it, which is odd, but that's all right. :) This story actually won first place at Bulbagarden's annual Writer's Workshop contest, so I'm proud of it._

_Contains veeery mild overtones of Splitshipping (Clay x Elesa) but if you don't like that ship, it's extremely easy to pass off as a friendship fic. Your choice! I love Clay but the poor guy doesn't get much love around these parts. _

**Holiday Lights**

It always snowed on the first evening of winter in Driftveil City. Meteorologists puzzled over it, but in the end, the _why_ didn't matter to the residents as much as the fact that it _did_. Snow meant the start of the holidays, and that meant family, friends, festivals, flashing lights, and parties.

The gym was the only building unadorned by flashing lights, and Clay was the only person who was unexcited about the upcoming season.

It wasn't that he hated the holidays; he was indifferent toward them. With no family and no close friends – he had his acquaintances, of course, but no one to confide in – there was no incentive for him to enjoy the season. When he first became a successful businessman, he was invited to many parties with overpriced wines and champagnes, imported cheeses, and live string quartets. He attended a few at first, but found that his gruff exterior and heavy accent made for awkward small talk when compared to the highly educated, sharply dressed men and women in attendance.

To Clay, the holiday season consisted of a few public appearances and nights alone with his Pokémon and his work.

He stepped outside his gym and looked skyward. A frosty breeze buffeted the few feeble flakes that managed to make it to ground level. He brushed one off his nose and sighed. Before long, the flakes would fall faster; within an hour, it would begin accumulating. The sounds of laughter and cheering drifted through the city; the aroma of pastries and fried treats wafted through the air. With the appearance of the snow, Driftveil's Winter Night festival was underway in the Driftveil Market. He walked briskly toward the sounds of celebration. He hated going – it was the same thing every year – but as gym leader and the most respected man in the city – in all of Unova, some argued – he had an obligation to be there.

By the time he reached the marketplace, the festival was in full swing. Street vendors called their wares as crowds of visiting trainers eagerly forked over handfuls of cash for little trinkets and festival memorabilia. As he walked through the crowds, many locals called out to him, wishing him a happy holiday season; many trainers stared at him, some snapping pictures excitedly as he walked past. He nodded at some of them and tugged at the brim of his hat to acknowledge others. Sounds of "Frosty the Beartic" garbled out of the city's speaker system. He winced; next to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Deerling," it was one of his least favorite holiday songs.

"Clay!"

He turned his head. A slender blond woman in a red fleece coat waved enthusiastically at him, two Emolga perched atop her matching red hat. A group of young girls flocked around her, eyes glittering, as if just being near the woman was a greater treat than the festival – which, Clay knew, was likely the case; the woman _was_ a famous model. He walked closer.

"What're ya doin' here in Driftveil, Elesa?"

Elesa threw her arms wide. "I'm enjoying the festival, Clay!" The Emolga tittered in agreement. She smiled at the crowd around her. "Thank you all for keeping me company! If you don't mind, I'd like to have some time to talk with my friend here."

With barely concealed disappointment, the crowd waved good-bye and slowly began dispersing. Elesa winked at them as she walked away, and motioned for the Driftveil leader to follow her. With a frown, he followed. Her Emolga jumped off her hat and drifted through the snowy air behind them.

"So we're friends, are we?"

Elesa didn't answer; he wasn't sure whether she was ignoring him or didn't hear him. She stopped abruptly at a stall selling ribbons and ornaments, and picked out two glittery ribbons – one green, one red. She held them up for her Emolga to see.

"Aren't these cute?" she said merrily. The Emolga landed on her shoulders and chattered excitedly. She smiled. "Wonderful!" She turned to Clay. "Would you do me a favor?"

His frown deepened. "Wha' kinda favor?"

Before he knew what was happening, Elesa put her Emolga in his arms. "Hold them for me, would you?" He opened his mouth to protest, but she was already busy tying the ribbons onto her Pokémon. In less than a minute, one Emolga had a red bow tied on its head; the other, a green bow around its neck. Elesa took a step back to admire her handiwork and smiled fondly.

"My Emolga like you," she said. Sure enough, both Emolga nestled against his chest contentedly. Clay grimaced; the ground-type gym leader in him disdained the idea of being cuddled by two electric types while the man in him was distressed at the idea of carting around in his arms two cutesy Pokémon adorned with glittery bows. He tried unsuccessfully to shake them off; they attached themselves firmly to his shoulders instead. "I suppose this means that we _are_ friends." Her eyes glistened. "Can I buy a ribbon for Excadrill?"

"Not a chance."

She shrugged. "Worth a try. Shall we?"

He watched her gracefully walk through the snow as she smiled at the children throwing snowballs at one another, playing ring-toss games, and eating Casteliacones. He plodded after her, perfectly aware that the ribbon-touting Emolga clinging to his coat collar attracted a lot of curious glances and, in the case of a few children, fits of giggles. It was undoubtedly a bizarre sight for Driftveil residents, who had seen only two different expressions on their leader – grumpy and triumphant. The exasperation on his face was certainly a new one to them.

Elesa stopped at three more vendors, purchasing little baubles at each. After the last, where she bought a pair of earrings, Clay finally had enough of people staring at him.

"Would ya kindly take yer Pokémon back?" he said to Elesa in a low voice. "I got a lot o' people who respect me 'round here. Thing is, folks ain't likely to take me seriously if I got... if I got showy electric Pokémon hangin' off my coat."

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself, Clay."

He sighed. The music spilling out of the speakers was very distracting.

_Rudolph the red-nosed Deerling had a very shiny nose_

_That shined brighter than Ampharos's tail glows._

"I never enjoy myself at these kinds of things. I jus' want to get back to my gym and finish some work."

Elesa hung her head gloomily. "Well, if that's what you want..." She motioned for her Emolga to come back to her. After exchanging disappointed looks, they floated back and reassumed their positions atop her hat. "If… if you don't mind, Clay, may I escort you?"

Clay chuckled humorlessly. "Why? I can get back well enough on my own."

"I just… don't want you to be alone during the holidays."

His mouth fell open slightly in surprise. He had been alone for the past twenty holiday seasons, yet…

"Yer the first person to say that to me."

"I mean it, too."

He looked at her curiously. "Yer an interestin' girl, Elesa."

"And you're an interesting man, Clay." She smiled. "Shall we? I get the feeling you don't want to hear the last four stanzas of this song."

"An' you'd be right."

The snow fell as thick as ever as they left the warmth and noise of the festival, yet it didn't bother Clay as much as it had when he had set off toward it. Elesa was certainly good company, but at that moment, Clay realized that it could have been anyone walking with him and he would have been content.

It didn't take long to reach the gym again. Elesa looked expectantly at him as he stood in front of the sliding doors, and when they opened, he found a surprise waiting for him.

He caught a brief glimpse of the walls, adorned with colorful ribbons and lights, and the lobby desk laden with pots and bowls of food. Several people filled the room, and it took Clay a moment to register who they were.

The Striaton triplets pulled him over to the lobby desk as they jabbered about food and pointed out the different dishes they had cooked; Lenora and her husband turned on a holiday CD; Burgh smiled as he put up the final few decorations; Skyla tried to get the stoic Brycen to dance with her; and Drayden and his apprentice Iris were already well into a plateful of fruit salad. Elesa's Emolga hopped off her hat and floated over to the fruit bowl, where they eagerly dug into to the apples.

Finally managing to shake off the triplets, Clay turned to Elesa and gave her a piercing look. "Did ya plan to take me back to my gym fer this?"

Elesa smiled. "Of course, but even if I hadn't, I still wouldn't have let you have another holiday alone."

Clay looked at the gym leaders throughout the room. "Whose idea was this?"

"It's a holiday tradition that you've managed to miss every year for the gym leaders of Unova to gather for merry making and good food," Iris said, shoveling another spoonful of fruit in her mouth.

"So we decided together to take it to you this year instead," Lenora added.

Clay looked around at his smiling contemporaries, and then around at his almost unrecognizable lobby, this time taking a moment to examine the effort put into making it festive. A large banner hung over the elevator, "Happy Holidays" painted artfully on it. Bright lights were strung around the door frame and elevator, and across the lobby desk. A small tree decorated in glistening red and green ornaments stood in the corner.

"Yeh broke into my gym and decorated it without my knowin' while I was at the festival so I wouldn't have another holiday by myself," he said finally. He shook his head in disbelief. "Fine, yeh can stay as long as yeh clean this stuff out by the mornin'."

Burgh patted Clay's shoulder. "I hope you don't mind that we were planning on staying anyway, seeing how long it took to plan it for you." Humming along with the music blaring out of the speakers – "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Winter" – he walked to the food and piled treats on his plate.

Clay felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I have something for you," Elesa said, holding out a small box.

"Wha' for?"

"It's customary to give gifts for the holidays."

"I don't have nothin' fer you in return," Clay said slowly.

She pressed the box into his hands. "Just take it. Happy holidays, Clay."

He watched her walk over to Skyla, who was still attempting to dance with the rigid Brycen. Elesa managed to distract Skyla with the earrings she had purchased at the festival just long enough for Brycen to slip away unnoticed. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he opened the box. Inside was a handsome gold watch embedded with tiny green stones. As he took it carefully out of the box, a small piece of paper fluttered out. He unfolded it. Elesa's loopy script read:

_Clay,_

_Take some time for yourself. I know you love your Pokémon. Go for a walk with them. Watch the sunrise together. Enjoy the ocean breeze. And remember that the other gym leaders are your friends too. We would do anything for you, just as we know you'd do anything for us. Underneath that brusque exterior of yours is a heart of gold. Let others see it from time to time._

_With much love,_

_Elesa_

With a small smile, Clay put the watch on his wrist and joined his fellow gym leaders at the refreshments.

The snow swirled around Driftveil like it did every year on the first day of winter. But for the first time, every inhabitant in the city could enjoy the holiday festivities.


End file.
